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Design isn’t some trifling activity for kids

By November 25, 201012:00 amJanuary 29, 20153:21 pm

Has the perception of graphic design in the UK reached a new nadir with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee emblem competition (Letters, DW 11 November), as it has now been reduced to the level of a glorified colouring-in competition for children?

No doubt this is seen as the ultimate form of democratisation, where ’the people’ can exert a substantial influence on such a major royal event.

The organisers’ keenness on this processnot only demeans the role of design in a crass way, but, ironically, also the very credibility of the constitutional milestone itself that they wish to promote.

Given that this is a high-profile national event, the message this approach sends out to the British public is that design is a trivial, innocuous, ’fun’ activity, something even a child can be given the responsibility to do.

The organisers must also have precious little concern for whatever results from this exercise in terms of quality of design. Why otherwise would they then pursue such a policy?

Interestingly, the competition’s terms and conditions then give permission for making ’modifications to the winning emblem for design and production purposes’ – and presumably, of course, this is then carried out by a designer?

It is hard to think of any other professional occupation that could be so disparagingly supplanted by an elementary school classroom activity.

Perhaps I could also knock up a Plasticine model for a major architectural project after I have finished playing with my Lego pirate set and before my mum says it is my bedtime?